


Tell Me Once Again

by freezingoceans



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Identity Reveal, Kinda crack?, Snekmouse - Freeform, i dont know what counts as crack anymore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26762287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freezingoceans/pseuds/freezingoceans
Summary: Friday was free for Marinette, Alya would have known to check that. But Ladybug and Multimouse were supposed to be on patrol.“Tikki, I may have just made a mistake.”
Comments: 13
Kudos: 59
Collections: Miraculous Writer's Guild September Event 2020





	Tell Me Once Again

“There, finally done with the dress,” Marinette said, standing up. “What do you wanna do now, Tikki?”

“We could bake something?”

Marinette nodded. She _had_ been meaning to try out a new cake recipe she had found, and it’s not like she had anything better to do. Her schedule was pretty free for the rest of the week, for once. Akuma attacks notwithstanding, she had a couple patrols, and the rest of her week she could rest.

She turned to go climb out of her room, but her phone buzzed. Marinette blew it off, and then it vibrated again. And again. She glanced at the screen and saw several messages from Nino.

> _**Neetle Teetle** : mari, i know you dont like surprises_
> 
> _**Neetle Teetle** : and if you tell alya i told u, i will come to ur house and steal half of ur left socks_
> 
> _**Neetle Teetle** : but shes throwing u a surprise party friday night_
> 
> _**Neetle Teetle** : an di remember what ur 7th birthday was like_
> 
> _**Neetle Teetle** : pls dont punch alya when she pops out_
> 
> _**Bread Binch** : I make No Promises_
> 
> _**Bread Binch** : But I'll be there_

“Tikki, they’re having a party! For me!” Marinette did a little twirl. Her friends were always so thoughtful, especially after she had been so hesitant to set anything up after the way last year’s celebration had led to an Akuma.

She changed courses, and walked to her calendar. Marinette stared at her entry for Friday. She had a system, things written in pink were her schedule, orange was for Alya, green for Nino, blue for Adrien, all her friends were catalogued there. Marinette always felt better if she knew what was happening around her. On top of that, she had cute little stickers for her exploits as Ladybug, and occasionally Multimouse.

Friday _was_ free for Marinette, Alya would have known to check that. But Ladybug and Multimouse were supposed to be on patrol.

“Tikki, I may have just made a mistake.”

\---

“And you're sure I can’t get Bunnix to help me?” Marinette asked.

“She hasn’t shown up yet, so it’s not world-ending,” Tikki said, patting her Chosen’s arm. “You’re smart and creative, Marinette. You’ll figure it out, I’m sure of it.”

“I can do this!”

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and Marinette went to check it.

“I can’t do this,” she said, tossing her hands up.

It was a message from Chat, saying something about Aspik wanting to talk to Multimouse. Because of course, she would get the chance to talk to Adrien on her birthday, but not as herself. And Alya wanted her around for the party, she had to be there as well, plus teaching Multimouse as Ladybug on patrol? It was too much. She’d have to pick something to come first, and make her way to the others as she had the opportunity to sneak away.

Marinette wordlessly showed her phone to Tikki.

"I don't even _want_ to know how this happened."

“I honestly couldn’t tell you. Tikki, what do I _do_ , it’s not like I can be in three places at once!”

“Talk to Aspik, skip patrol and use that as an excuse, then the party,” Tikki declared. “It takes one thing off your plate, and it’s not like your friends would be surprised if you showed up a bit late.”

“You aren’t wrong,” Marinette said. “Alright, let’s do this.”

\---

Aspik was sitting on a roof, kicking his legs over the edge of the building. Waiting was hard for him, he figured it had to do with the fact that most of his life was spent moving, especially when he was transformed. Stillness just didn’t come naturally to him.

There was a thud on the roof, and he turned, instinctively reaching for his baton. Multimouse held up her hands as he brandished a lyre threateningly at her.

“Uh, hi, you wanted to me see? I mean _see me_ , you wanted to see me?”

“Yeah!” he said, mood brightening. “I just wanted to say happy birthday!”

“Thanks, Ad-Aspik!” she said, smiling. She looked at him again, face dropping. “Wait, how did you know it was my birthday?”

His mind was reeling, he hadn’t thought this through, and what could he do, she couldn’t know he was Adrien Agreste, couldn’t know he was Chat. She had to stay safe. But before he could react he was already speaking, “I couldn’t go- I mean Chat Noir told me, and I wasn’t going to see you as a civilian and-”

“What do you mean, ‘You weren’t going to see me as a civilian,’ do I… Do I know you?” Multimouse asked, fiddling with her earrings.

“Maybe?” he tried.

“That’s not really an answer.”

“Ladybug’s gonna be so mad at me later. Yeah I do know you, er, civilian you, I mean. Marinette you.”

Multimouse sat down next to him and stared off in the distance. Her face was blank, not letting on any of what she was feeling.

He could barely hear her over the wind as she asked “How?”

“I uh. I saw you detransform, once. It was early on, you probably don’t remember honestly.” Aspik scratched at the back of his neck. “I’m sorry I’ve ruined your birthday, I can go now, if you want me to. We don’t have to talk about this ever again, I can just… I’m not the best fit for the Snake anyways-”

“Aspik, stop. Breathe with me.” Marinette looked him in the eye, and purposefully drew in breath after breath. But he couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything over the rising panic in his chest.

She squeezed his hand, and very quietly said “Adrien please, you need to _breathe._ ”

He nodded, and tried to follow her, keeping pace as he went, His panic ebbed away as they sat there, just breathing.

That couldn’t stop Adrien’s mind from whirring, however. He hadn’t exactly _been_ Aspik many times, and the only person he could think of that would know his identity were well, Ladybug, and apparently Marinette. Which led him to the conclusion that Marinette was Ladybug, except she couldn’t be…

“Marinette? I- I have a question, you don’t have to answer but I have to know, to have at least asked…”

“I’ve got a question of my own, so it’s only fair we trade.”

“Are you Ladybug?”

The wind howled around them, and Marinette looked at him, really _looked_ at him. She studied him for a moment, and then slowly nodded her head.

“Chaton?”

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn’t expecting this to turn into a reveal fic, but it sure as heck did! This was written for, and cross-posted on the ML Writer's Guild on Tumblr! go check it out!


End file.
